Restraining apparatus



D- 15 1959 c. s. BASSIN RESTRAINING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 6, 1958 nitedStates Patent O RESTRAINING APPARATUS Charles S. Bassin, Springfield,Mass. Application January 6, 1958, Serial No. 707,327 1 Claim. (Cl.12S-134) My invention relates to new and useful improvements instructural refinements in a harness for restraining infants and isdirected more particularly to the provision of a harness of thecharacter herein described which may be conveniently and elfectivelyemployed for sustaining an infant in position in a crib or on a bed, andto prevent him from climbing about and/or accidentally falling from thecrib or bed.

The invention further contemplates a body restraining device not onlyfor infants but also for adults, which device is of the abdominalrestraint type and is adapted to confine a person, such as a patient, ina bed without unduly restricting the movements of such person andwithout causing him any undue comfort. That is, the device is innocuousin appearance and renders the patient oblivious to the fact that arestraint upon his leaving the bed is actually in effect, since the samepresents no substantial restraint to his freedom of movement within thebed.

It is the principal object hereof to provide an infant embracing harnessin the form of a belt having opposite end portions adapted to beconnected to the adjacent sides of the crib or bed so as to sustain aninfant in position on the mattress thereof.

It is another object of the invention to provide a simple harness whichmay be detachably applied to a bed or crib, having a body attaching partsecured to an infant in such a manner as to permit the infant to have acertain freedom of movement within the bed or crib and which isnonetheless limited so as to prevent the baby from accidentally fallingor climbing from the bed. With this device, the infant is allowed asubstantial range of movement, yet, at the same time, his movement issufficiently limited as to prevent the child wearing the harness frombecoming injured by accidentally falling from the bed.

In outward appearance, the restraint device of this invention is madesubstantially entirely of fabric, which blends into the bed clothingwith no visible straps or buckles which may act as a disturbing factorto the mental well being of the user. The fabric girdle is convenientlyadjustable in its girth in order to adapt it to a comfortableencirclement of the user therein, regardless of his size.

It is a further object hereof to provide a rugged construction which maybe fabricated at relatively low cost from few parts and which may belaundered repeatedly without substantial wear so that it ischaracterized vby a capacity for an extended usage period.

With these primary objects in View, it is another object of theinvention to provide a construction of the above described character inwhich the number of operating parts is greatly reduced and which iscompact in accordance with the demands and desires of manufacturers andpurchasers alike and which is distinctive in its appearance, practicalin its value, reliable in its operation, and efficient in its use.

It is still a further object to provide a device which is constructed ofrelatively simple parts which are adapted to be readily assembled andwhich when once assembled are positively and securely retained inoperative relationship and which cannot be readily separated from eachother, either accidentally or otherwise.

Other prime objects of my invention include; rst, the securement of ahigher degree of accuracy and greater degree of variety in the manner ofwork performed therewith than has heretofore been possible with priordevices known in the art; second, the attainment of a higher speed ofconstruction and assemblyl of the device due to its simplification ofdesign and its unique composition of parts; third, the attainment of aflexibility or a capability of adjustment by which persons of varioussizes may-be accommodated by means of the same device; fourth, theachievement of a greater case in adjustment and repairs; fifth, theprovision of an improved harness or restraint which may be made moreeconomically and with fewer operations in the manufacture of its parts,as well as in the assembly of the same, than prior devices known in theart; sixth, the provision of a construction which may be readilyinstalled with respect to the various purposes for which it is intended,and seventh, the provision of such other improvements in and relating toharness or restraints of the above referred to type as are hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent asthe following description proceeds, and the features of novelty whichcharacterize my invention will be pointed out with particularity in theclaim annexed to and forming part of this specification, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification,wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in theseveral views.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the device of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the device shown in Fig. 1 with theparts in a somewhat expanded relationship;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional View on the line 4--4 of Fig. 2.

In the following description and claim, various details will beidentified by specific names for convenience. These names however areintended to be as generic in their application as the art will permit.

Referring now to the drawing more in detail, and referring moreparticularly to the preferred form of my invention selected forillustrative purposes, I have shown a primary strap l0 which ispreferably composed of canvas, leather or other flexible material.

Said strap is a wide flexible band of fabric which may be of cotton orother textile material and preferably of a white color resembling thesheets of the bed clothes which overlie the top of the bed.

The strap 10 is providcdwith fasteners 12 or buckles, clasps or the likeat its opposite ends by means of which fastening straps 14 may beadjustably connected to the strap 10. The opposite free ends of thefastening straps 14 may be secured as by other fasteners (not shown) orthe like to the side rails of a crib or bedstead.

It will be understood that, if desired, the opposite ends of the primarystrap 10 can be elongated, which elongations can serve the function ofthe said fastening straps 14.

Also, if desired, one of the fastening straps 14 may be of such lengthas to be adapted to be encircled around the mattress and/or thebedstead.

To the primary strap 10, intermediate its ends, I attach oppositelydisposed rolling tapes 16, 17 and 18 by means of stitching.

The tapes are arranged alternately, tape 17 extend- Patented Dec. 15,1959 e 2,917,044 Y Y 3 ing in one direction and being disposed betweentapes 16 and 18 extending in the other direction.

The free ends of the tapes 16, 17 and 18 are secured by stitching to abody band or girdle 20, which band is of a substantial width and iscomposed of a strong fabric. f

Preferably said body band is of the same width as the band and isarranged to encircle the abdomen of a user after he is disposed thereon.

It will be understood that the outermost tapes le andv V18 extend in onedirection and are secured to theV body band 20 beyond its midpoint onone side thereof (o:4 the right side as shown in Fig. 2) and that thetape 17 extends in an opposite direction and Vis secured to the bodyband beyond its midpoint on the opposite eine thereof (on theV left sideas shown in Fig. 2).

This permits a free movement of the body band relative to the primarystrap in either direction, the sets of rolling tapes (tapes 16 and 18comprising one set and tape 17 comprising the other set) in elfectoverlapping and providing a maximum movement, the rolling movement inone direction being limited by tapes 16 and and in the oppositedirection by tape 17.

It will be understood that the free ends of the body band 20 overlapeach other when assuming the said body encircling position. That is, themember 20 is pref erably arranged to encircle the abdomen of a userafter the user is disposed thereon by bringing the free ends of themember 20 to the top of the user.

Stitched to the body band 20, I preferably provide :i

pair of fastening straps 22 and 24 having free ends whichv may bebrought into locking engagement with each other by means of a buckle 26when the opposite free ends the body band 20 are brought around thewaist of the user in a body encircling manner.

It will be appreciated that the harness is of simple construction andfurther that it contains no projecting metallic parts which might causediscomfort to the user. The particular construction of the overlapping,rolling tapes enables the user to have a very substantial rolli movementin either direction and also a slight longitudinal movement.

When the device is in use, the primary strap 1b united to the bedthrough the fastening of the strap: 14 to the side rails, mattress, orsprings, according te what may be most suitable and convenient.

It will be fully appreciated that, when the body band 20 is applied, theuser is free to roll in either direction laterally from the center ofthe bed, but thatrthe rolling tapes 16, 17 and 18 inclusive are soproportioned and so arranged with reference to the remainder of thestructure and relative to the user that the freedom of move ment islimited so as to prevent the user from rolling or falling from the bed.

The user is unconscious of restraint and yet safe and free fromirritation and annoyance because he is thereby permitted the rollingmovement which the tapes or rolling straps permit. The device thus holdsthe user in its bed in such a manner that all liability of its fallingout, or its rising from a recumbent position will be prevented, and yetwith the positive assurance that the freedom of moving its head, armsand legs will not in anyway be interfered with.

it will furthermore be appreciated that in using this device, the usermay be removed from the harness case of a fire or other emergency byremoving the single fastener or clasp 26 employed for holding the bodyband around the users body.

The device is constructed so that there is no danger of the tapes orstraps strangling the user, and further, it is united to the user atpoints Where no pressure is permitted on any Vital organs.

The invention is not limited in its application to the details ofconstruction and arrangement of parts illustrated in these drawings,since the invention is capable of other embodiments. rl`oo, it is to beunderstood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is forthe purpose of .description and notrof limitation.

Although particular embodiments of my invention have been described, itwill be understood by those skilled in the art that the objects of theinvention may be attained by use of constructions different in certainrespects from those disclosed without departing from the underlyingprinciples of the invention. l therefore desire by the following claimto include within the scope of my in-V vention all such variations andmodifications by which substantially the results of my invention may beobtained through the use of substantially the same or equivalent means.

Having thus describedl my invention, what I claim is:

A restraining device for securing the body of arperson to an Objectcomprising in combination, an elongated llexible primary strap adaptedto be secured to an object, an elongated flexible girdle for encirclingthe body of a person over the primary strap, said primary strap andgirdle being substantially of the same transverse width and havingcorresponding opposite ends, a pair of elongated flexible rolling strapsbetween said primary strap and girdle having outer longitudinal edgesaligned with corresponding longitudinal edges of said primary strap andgirdle and arranged to provide a transverse space therebetween, a thirdelongated exible rolling strap in the space between the straps of thepairthereof,saidV straps of the pair thereof and said third strap havingcorresponding opposite ends, one end of the rollingstraps of the pairthereof being secured to the primary strap inwardly of onerend thereofand a corresponding enit or' the third rolling strap being securedV tothe girdie inwardly of a corresponding end of said girdle, opposite`ends of the straps of the pair thereof being secured to said girdleinwardly of an opposite end thereof and a corresponding end of the thirdstrap being secured to the primary strap inwardly' of a correspondingend thereof, and relatively narrow elongated flexible fastening strapshaving inner ends secured to the inner side of the girdleV adjacent thesecurement of the straps of the pair and the third strap thereto andhaving free end portions extending outwardly in opposite directions,said free ends the fastening straps adapted to overlie said girdle inencircling the body of a person.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATlEbYfSV794,457 Gaiter Iuly 11,1905 1,502,276 Y Siebert July 22, l92 2,520,710Brown Aug. 79@ 1950

